Frequently Asked Questions

Edmonds School District‘s vision and commitment is equity, engagement and excellence for every student. One way to achieve this is to provide learning environments that are up to code, safe and accessible to people of all abilities.

Of our 34 school campuses, 15 were built more than 50 years ago and have not been replaced. In order to fund the replacement of these aging schools, school districts must provide the majority of the financing through voter-approved bonds and levies. The state will typically allocate limited funds to help with these costs, but only if the district is contributing to the cost with these voter-approved measures.

If approved, the construction bond would replace four of the district’s oldest schools:

• College Place Elementary

• Oak Heights Elementary

• College Place Middle

• Westgate Elementary

Aligning with the Edmonds School District’s commitment to equity, engagement and excellence, the district provides and maintains Chromebook access for each student using funds from the Technology/Capital Levy.

Technology tools critical to teaching and learning as well as network security are also funded through the levy.

Capital projects including new roofs, track and field improvements and safety/accessibility upgrades are funded through the Technology/Capital Levy as well. These projects maintain the facilities we have and improve our learning environments, ensuring a safe and equitable experience for all students.

The district has structured the proposed 2024 School Construction Bond and Replacement Technology/Capital Levy in a way to maintain a consistent tax rate for our community. 

If the bond is successful, we would stop collecting levy funding from the 2021 Capital Levy. We would use bond funding for those projects, which includes replacing Oak Heights Elementary School. The technology/capital levy would not be a new tax, it would replace the 2020 voter-approved levy. 

Voters decide on a fixed amount for both the bond and the levy, not a tax rate. Both measures are capped at the total dollar amount. Actual taxes collected are dependent on the assessed valuation (AV) of property, which is not decided by school districts. 

If the bond and levy are successful after the February 13, 2024 election, we project that the tax rate will stay consistent from 2024 to 2025. 
 

Actual and Estimated Tax Rate Comparison

*If approved, Edmonds School District would eliminate the 2021 Capital Levy at the end of 2024 and use bond funding to complete the replacement project on an accelerated schedule.

Bonds fund long-term investments like schools. Bonds allow school districts to collect funding up front for the construction of school buildings. The bonds are paid off over approximately 20 years. 

60 percent of voter approval is needed to pass a school district construction bond. In order for the bond to pass even with 60 percent approval, it is required that there is a 40 percent voter turnout based upon the number of votes cast in the most recent state General Election (November 2023). This is known as validation. 

Technology/capital levies fund investments that have a shorter life cycle, such as student technology equipment, tracks, and fields. Levies generate yearly funds, usually over four years. 

50 percent, plus one vote, of voter approval is needed to pass a school district levy. Levies do not require validation.

School districts must provide the majority of financial resources to fund construction to replace old schools or build additional new schools through voter-approved bonds and levies. The state typically allocates limited funds to assist with the costs, but only if the district is funding the project with local resources, predominantly through voter approved measures. These limited funds from the state do not become available to districts until the construction project is completed, or nearly completed. 

There is no state funding for many of Edmonds School District’s capital upgrade and renewal projects (such as tracks and fields) or technology resources (such as providing Chromebooks for every student). Voter-approved levies provide the funding for these projects and technology equipment.

The Facility Advisory Committee (FAC), made up of parents, community members, instructional and classified staff, spent about 10 months preparing a bond recommendation for the School Board. 

The group prioritized their recommendation on moving the district to a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade middle school model. With that focus, they saw one of the biggest needs is to replace College Place Middle School so it can accommodate a three grade span. The district also needs a fifth middle school to switch to the proposed model. 

When reviewing the 2024 bond and replacement levy recommendations from the FAC, the School Board felt it was important to focus on schools with larger and growing populations.

The district spans six municipalities that include Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Woodway, and parts of Unincorporated Snohomish County. The school replacements and new school spread the construction across half the jurisdictions. 

The School Board looked into when and where schools had been, or not been, recently replaced. With the largest population in the City of Edmonds, and continued growth and several portables at Westgate Elementary, it was decided to put Westgate Elementary on the 2024 proposed bond. 

It was also decided to include Oak Heights Elementary as part of the 2024 School Construction Bond, which would replace the existing 2021 Capital Levy (see question below for more details). 

• Oak Heights Elementary - Unincorporated Snohomish County 

• Westgate Elementary - City of Edmonds

• College Place Elementary - City of Lynnwood

• College Place Middle - City of Lynnwood

• Build a 5th middle school - to be located in unincorporated Snohomish County

We realize all 15 of our oldest schools could not be replaced as part of the 2024 School Construction Bond. The Facility Advisory Committee (FAC), which was comprised of parents, community members, and staff, spent about 10 months preparing a bond recommendation for the School Board. While there are older schools than the slate of projects named, the FAC had to balance building conditions, available funding, and the location of projects to arrive at the list of replacement schools. With the strategy of moving to a 6th-8th grade middle school model, and the need to build a new middle school, there was a limited list of elementary schools that could fit within the allocated funding. Some upgrades will be completed at many schools across the district. Both the 2024 School Construction Bond and the Replacement Technology/Capital Levy provide funding for building improvements (items such as roof replacements, HVAC system upgrades, safety, security, accessibility, etc.), which helps with the maintenance of all our buildings and supports student learning.

Every fall, the district provides the dollar amount to be levied for the next calendar year to the Snohomish County Assessor’s Office. Voters approved the 2021 Capital Levy with the district collecting $30 million a year for six years. If the School Construction Bond is approved, after the 2024 collection of levy dollars, the district will not collect the funding for 2025, 2026, or 2027. Instead, the district will use bonds to pay for the replacement of Oak Heights Elementary, which allows the project to finish on an accelerated timeline. By completing the project earlier than originally planned, the cost savings will come by way of decreased construction costs. 

If the bond is successful, the district’s Capital Projects team begins their community engagement process. Each school will have its own group that will be part of the design process and will be made up of representatives from school staff, students, parents/guardians, community members, and district staff. 

The new College Place Middle School would be built for 900 students. The additional fifth middle school would also be built for 900 students. 

The schools not being replaced in this bond (Alderwood Middle, Brier Terrace Middle, and Meadowdale Middle) were built to accommodate approximately 800  students: 

If the bond is approved, the district will go through a thorough process to make boundary changes that not only accommodate the additional fifth middle school, but also take into account  student capacity at all of the middle schools. Community engagement will be part of the boundary adjustment process.

The district will undergo a thorough process considering factors such as population density, student residential locations, walkability, and making efforts to avoid dividing neighborhoods. Community engagement will also be an integral part of the boundary adjustment process.

State learning standards are grouped by grade levels consistent with a 6th-8th grade model. They are grouped in the following ways: kindergarten-5th grade, 6th-8th grade and 9th-12th grade.

Moving 6th grade to middle school expands academic options for 6th graders, such as access to science labs. 

A three-year educational experience in one school building provides more continuity and consistency for students and families.

Edmonds School District is one of the last districts in the region to exclude 6th grade as part of middle school. Nearby districts, including Shoreline, Everett, Mukilteo, Northshore, Seattle, Bellevue, Lake Washington all  embrace the State’s 6th-8th grade middle school model.

Building codes

Buildings constructed before 1972 did not observe a national building code. Building codes regulate, among other functions, things such as: 

• Building occupancy

• Structural systems to withstand seismic activity: Foundation, walls, and roof construction

• Fire and life safety systems

• Plumbing, HVAC, and electrical systems

• Building envelope and materials used in construction

• Energy performance and ventilation

Safety standards today vs. 50 years ago

Then: Multiple points of entry

Today: One or two controlled points of entry

Then: Few windows to conserve energy

Today: Insulated windows for improved daylight and student performance

Then: Campus-style one-story building construction

Today: Secure campus with outdoor learning opportunities and multiple-story construction for improved energy efficiency

Unlike houses that typically house a limited number of people, elementary and middle schools welcome 400 to 800 students daily. Additionally, schools undergo frequent changes, adapting to new technology needs and updated health and safety requirements.

When we replace or build new schools through voter-approved bonds and levies, we strive for energy-efficient schools that focus on safety, security, and accessibility supporting student learning for all students, staff, families, and our community.

In an election, voters are asked to approve or reject a total bond and/or levy amount. The tax rate is based on assessed property values the year after the election (2025). If the assessed property values change, then the tax rate changes.

Assessed value is the dollar value assigned to a property for purposes of measuring applicable taxes. Assessed value is used to determine the value of a residence or business for tax purposes and takes comparable residential and commercial property sales and inspections into consideration. Assessed property value is determined by the assessor’s office in your county.

No. When school districts run bond and levy measures, they request a set amount from local taxpayers. When more people move into a community, there are more taxpayers to share the cost. For example, if you buy a $10 pie alone, the cost to you is $10. If four people share the pie, each person only pays $2.50. The pie seller still gets $10. No matter how many people move to the district, the cost of the “pie” remains the same.

No. Voters approve a fixed collection amount that does not increase regardless of what happens to assessed value.

State law provides two tax benefit programs for senior citizens and the disabled: property tax exemptions and property tax deferrals. For more information on if you might qualify, please contact Snohomish County’s Assessor’s Office at 425.388.3433.

Yes, there were five community meetings and a tour of College Place Middle. 

Community Bond & Levy Presentations

• Thursday, November 30 - 5:30-6:00 p.m. Lynnwood High School library
• Wednesday, January 3 - 5:30-6:00 p.m. Educational Services Center 101/102
• Thursday, January 11 - 5:30-6:00 p.m. Mountlake Terrace Public Library, large meeting space
• CANCELED DUE TO SCHOOL CLOSURE (rescheduled for Jan. 30)Thursday, January 18 - 5:30-6:00 p.m. Mountlake Terrace High School Library
• Thursday, January 25 - 6:00-6:30 p.m. Edmonds School District office - This presentation will be in Spanish
• Tuesday, January 30 - 5:30-6 p.m. Mountlake Terrace High School Library (rescheduled from Jan. 18 closure)

School Tour

Monday, January 22 - 5:30 p.m. College Place Middle School. 
The community was invited to College Place Middle School for a tour of the building. This tour is in response to community members requesting to see a school that is part of the proposed 2024 School Construction Bond.